Real Madrid are expected to hand Yan Diomande a starting place against his former club RB Leipzig in Wednesday’s Champions League meeting at the Santiago-Bernabeu.
The match, part of the competition’s third round of fixtures, takes place on 21 October. The Ivorian winger has been included in Real Madrid’s squad and is among the players being considered for a place in the starting XI.
Jose Mourinho is expected to select a 4-2-3-1 formation, although the final line-up could change depending on the tactical approach chosen by the manager.
Thibaut Courtois is projected to start in goal. Several media outlets have suggested a defence of Federico Valverde, Ibrahima Konate, Antonio Rudiger and Marc Cucurella, with Aurelien Tchouameni and Arda Guler forming the midfield pairing.
Jude Bellingham is expected to play behind the main attacking line, while Diomande could operate alongside Vinicius Junior and Kylian Mbappe.
The predicted line-up published for Real Madrid, however, lists a different defensive combination, with Valverde, Konate, Huijsen and Carreras named in front of Courtois. The variation highlights the uncertainty over the final selection before kick-off.
RB Leipzig are also expected to use a 4-2-3-1 system. Maarten Vandevoordt is projected to start in goal, with Ridle Baku, Willi Orban, Castello Lukeba and David Raum forming the back four.
Ezechiel Banzuzi and Neil El Aynaoui could play as the two deeper midfielders. Brajan Gruda, Christopher Nkunku and Antonio Nusa are expected to support Romulo, who is tipped to lead the attack.
Both teams will be without several players. Real Madrid are expected to be missing Rodrygo, Ferland Mendy and Raul Asencio, all of whom have been announced as unavailable. Leipzig will be without Christoph Baumgartner and Assan Ouedraogo.
Those absences may influence the choices made by both managers, with Diomande’s possible inclusion one of the main talking points ahead of the meeting.
Probable line-ups
Real Madrid: Courtois, Valverde, Konate, Huijsen, Carreras, Guler, Tchouameni, Yan Diomande, Bellingham, Vinicius Junior, Mbappe.
RB Leipzig: Vandevoordt, Baku, Orban, Lukeba, Raum, Banzuzi, El Aynaoui, Gruda, Nkunku, Nusa, Romulo.